Vintage Christmas Charm: A Fireplace Mantle Makeover

Are you looking to add a touch of vintage charm to your holiday decor? Join me as I share how I transformed my simple fireplace mantle into a stunning centerpiece using a combination of natural elements from my garden, DIY ornaments, and secondhand finds to create a whimsical look for the Christmas season.

A DIY Christmas Mantle: Vintage Charm on a Budget

This year, I decided to embrace a more sustainable and budget-friendly approach to my Christmas decor. By repurposing items from my garden and crafting my own ornaments, I was able to create a stunning fireplace mantle that exudes rustic charm.

Let me walk you through the step-by-step process of transforming simple materials into a festive masterpiece. From dried flowers and pinecones to homemade ornaments, to thrift store gems this DIY project is both rewarding and eco-friendly.

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Gather Your Materials

Rather than buying new decorations, I decided to embrace a more eco-friendly & budget-conscious approach this Christmas. By repurposing items from my thrifted collection, I was able to create a festive holiday display.

When decorating for any holiday, remember that not everything needs to be explicitly festive. In fact, many of the items I used on my mantle can be enjoyed year-round. Don’t feel pressured to stick to traditional Christmas decor. By incorporating timeless pieces, you can create a versatile display.

Creating The Base

It’s all about the garland when decorating a Christmas mantle! Adding lush greenery is the perfect backdrop for whatever comes next. One suggestion I have for you is to invest in a nice quality undecorated real touch garland that you can use year after year.

Here I have layered 2 different types of greenery: Norfolk Pine and Cedar (find them at Afloral or Terrain) This creates that high-end catalog look.

Adding Embellishments

Adding dried flowers, eucalyptus, ornaments, pinecones, feathers, twigs, and dried oranges into the garland.

Once the garlands were in place it was time to bring this mantle to life! To add a touch of natural beauty, I incorporated fresh eucalyptus stems from Trader Joe’s into the garland. I also included dried flowers that I had grown and preserved from my garden last summer. It’s a wonderful way to enjoy the beauty of nature, even during the chilly November days.

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To incorporate the dried flowers, I gently tucked the stems directly into the greenery of the garland. They held up well, but if you’re concerned about them falling out, especially in a high-traffic area, you can secure them with floral wire.

For the dried orange slices, I used a simple technique: I poked a small piece of floral wire through the slice and then wrapped it around the garland to hold it in place.

For my non-gardening friends, the colorful and fuzzy looking flowers are called celosia. They are one of the funniest flowers to grow and are easy for beginners.

To complete the look, I incorporated pheasant feathers, birch twigs, and some DIY vintage-style ornaments that I crafted for this Christmas.

Incorporating Vintage Elements

Once the garland was done it was time to fill in the rest of the mantle with a variety of objects to create the vintage (and a bit moody) aesthetic.

To create my mantle display, I started by gathering a collection of decor items. I pulled out gold pheasant statues that I’d purchased from Hobby Lobby a few years ago. I used antique wax to give them a more weathered look. I also gathered a small grapevine wreath, a chippy green architectural find, iron candlesticks, books, a rustic footed urn, and a large amaryllis bulb.

To create the centerpiece of my mantle, I used a thrifted urn (one of my all-time favorite finds, see what it looked like when I spotted it!). I filled it with a pot of paperwhites from Trader Joe’s and then added a layer of preserved moss to conceal the soil and give it a more polished appearance.

If you have been a reader here at Cottage on Bunker Hill you may recognize these vintage green books from previous seasonal displays on the blog. This year, I gave them a fresh look by bundling them together with a pretty frayed velvet ribbon from Hobby Lobby (in the sewing notions aisle) and adding a delicate feather.

At first glance, you might mistake this art print for a vintage piece. But it’s actually a DIY project I made using a burlap printer sheet and an old sign image. You can download the image (and see how I made the framed canvas) and create your own moody, vintage-inspired artwork.

Simple fabric bows and a string of bells completed this Christmas mantle.

Time To Enjoy!

By combining natural elements, vintage finds, and DIY projects, I was able to create a stunning and sustainable Christmas mantle. Remember, the key to a beautiful display is to have fun and experiment with different combinations of items.

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to create a festive atmosphere. By using what you already have and getting creative, you can achieve a beautiful and personalized look.

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